# Repurposing EV batteries for grid storage

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2025-07-24
- Length: 27m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-07-24-repurposing-ev-batteries-for-grid-storage

## Summary

Colin Campbell, CTO of Redwood Materials, explains how the company repurposes end-of-life EV batteries for grid storage through its Redwood Energy division. Campbell details the technical inspection process, noting that packs with ~20% capacity loss are often viable for low-cost, hot-swappable integration into stationary assets. He highlights that second-life batteries are economically competitive against new LFP systems, particularly for long-duration storage applications where lower discharge rates mitigate cell imbalance issues.

## Chapters

- [2:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-07-24-repurposing-ev-batteries-for-grid-storage#t=130) Introduction and Battery Condition
- [7:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-07-24-repurposing-ev-batteries-for-grid-storage#t=450) Inspection and Economic Calculus
- [14:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-07-24-repurposing-ev-batteries-for-grid-storage#t=840) Integration Process and Power Electronics
- [17:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-07-24-repurposing-ev-batteries-for-grid-storage#t=1039) Volume, Chemistry, and Grid Applications

## Topics

- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Redwood Materials (company)
- Redwood Energy (company)
- Tesla (company)
- EnergyHub (company)
- NMC (other)
- LFP (other)

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- [Road trip to the deep space network](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-04-17-road-trip-to-the-deep-space-network) (The Amp Hour)
- [10x Grid Storage: How Mesh Batteries Are Revolutionizing Home Energy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-05-08-10x-grid-storage-how-mesh-batteries-are-revolutionizing-home-energy) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Transforming CO2 Into an Ally in the Fight Against Climate Change with Claudio Spadacini, Founder and CEO of Energy Dome](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2022-11-10-transforming-co2-into-an-ally-in-the-fight-against-climate-change-with-claudio-s) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Solving a Renewables Problem with Electric Vehicles](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2021-05-28-solving-a-renewables-problem-with-electric-vehicles) (EE Times Current)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-07-24-repurposing-ev-batteries-for-grid-storage. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.